Authors: Sandi Perry
She
smiled
warmly
as
she
shook
his
hand,
"Allison
Ross."
"So
you
never
did
get
on
a
horse
in
all
this
time?"
She
shook
her
head
and
laughed,
"Some
things
are
not
meant
to
be.
Do
you
still
come
up
here
on
weekends?"
"I
took
over
the
farm
about
five
years
ago
after
my
grandfather
passed
on.
I
work
in
the
city
during
the
week
and
leave
the
place
in
very
capable
hands
while
I'm
gone."
He
laughed
as
he
shook
his
head,
"Your
expression
when
they
left
you
in
the
dust
got
seared
in
my
brain."
"I'm
still
not
sure
I'm
over
that!
I
guess
it
was
my
father's
passive-aggressive
approach
to
teaching
me
that
fear
is
not
an
option."
"How
is
your
Dad?"
"He
passed
away
a
few
months
ago."
"I'm
sorry,"
he
said
sincerely.
"It
still
doesn't
feel
real
to
me.
I
guess
I'm
on
some
sort
of
journey
to
try
to
make
sense
of
something
that
makes
no
sense
at
all."
He
nodded,
"I
understand.
That
summer
you
guys
came
to
the
farm
was
the
year
my
father
had
passed
away.
Every
minute
of
that
summer
is
etched
into
my
memory.
It's
almost
like
time
stood
still."
They
stood
together
shyly
for
a
few
moments.
"I
could
help
you
get
up
on
a
horse
if
you'd
like.
You
wouldn't
have
to
ride.
Just...sit."
For
some
reason
Allison
felt
complete
trust
in
this
almost
total
stranger
standing
before
her.
She
took
a
deep
breath,
"Actually,
I
think
that
might
help.
Would
you
mind
leading
a
twenty-nine
year
old
overgrown
baby
on
the
pony
path?"
He
put
out
his
hand,
and
she
smiled
at
him
as
she
took
it
gratefully.
"It
would
be
my
pleasure,"
he
said.
"Closure
can
be
a
bitch
sometimes;
or
a
very
welcome
diversion."
This
is
really
the
best
way
to
view
these
paintings,
Allison
thought
as
she
sat
in
the
dark
at
her
gallery,
one
late
night
the
next
week.
The
shadows
from
the
streetlight
add
a
completely
new
dimension
to
the
art.
Maybe
I
should
throw
a
party
and
advertise
it
as
another
fun
thing
you
can
do
in
the
dark
in
New
York
City.
Yeah,
and
every
weirdo
in
town
would
show
.
She
was
roused
from
her
musings
when
she
heard
a
light
tapping
on
the
front
window.
Allison
got
up
from
her
comfortable
perch
on
the
small
viewing
bench
and
saw
Alex
waiting
impatiently
at
the
door,
hunching
against
the
icy
weather
and
stomping
his
feet
to
keep
warm.
Well,
speaking
of
weirdoes.
She
reluctantly
answered
the
door,
unwilling
to
share
her
newfound
tranquility
with
someone
else,
especially
this
someone
else.
"Why
are
you
sitting
here
by
yourself
in
the
dark?"
Alex
asked
as
she
opened
the
locks
and
let
him
in.
"It's
called
introspection,
Alex,
you
should
try
it
sometime."
"It's
called
avoidance.
Why
haven't
you
been
to
the
office
since
we've
gotten
back?"
"I've
been
calling
in...things
are
running
smoothly."
She
sat
back
down
on
the
bench.
He
sat
down
next
to
her,
a
little
too
close.
She
folded
her
arms
across
her
chest,
drawing
herself
in
closer.
"I'm
fine;
I
don't
need
to
be
checked
on.
You
can
leave."
"I
don't
want
to
leave.
I
won't
be
pushed
aside.
I
think
you
know
that
about
me,
by
now."
She
glared
at
him,
"You
never
really
know
anyone."
"I
didn't
expect
existential
mumbo-jumbo
from
you.
Talk
to
me."
"And
then
will
you
go?"
"If
you
still
want
that."
She
shrugged,
"You're
right,
I
have
been
avoiding
you.
I
shouldn't
have
laid
all
that
stuff
on
you,
you
know,
about
my
uncle—my
past."
She
brushed
her
hair
back
off
her
face
and
looked
at
him.
"I've
been
an
emotional
wreck
ever
since
my
father
died.
I
don't
do
emotions
very
well,
I'm
much
better
at
holding
things
in
and...avoiding.
I
feel
like
some
helpless
ping-pong
ball
being
lobbed
back
and
forth
and
occasionally
being
slammed
down.
I'm
a
mess."
She
went
on
with
her
plea.
"Avoiding
me
would
be
the
biggest
favor
you
could
do
for
yourself."